Bee populations have been declining rapidly worldwide in recent years -- in the U.S., they have declined by almost 50 percent just since October 2012, according to The Ecologist. The problem is complex, with possible culprits including certain parasites (like Varroa mites), viruses, pesticides, and industrial agriculture. But two studies published in early 2012 in the journal Science suggested a particularly strong connection between the use of a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids and the decline of both bumble bee and honeybee populations.

These and other studies led the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to recommend a two-year ban of the most controversial neonicotinoids by the European Commission: thiamethoxam, manufactured by Swiss company Syngenta; and imidacloprid and clothianidin, manufactured by German company Bayer. Private letters recently obtained and released by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) reveal that Bayer and Syngenta have engaged in furious lobbying against these measures. So far, the proposed partial ban has failed to reach a qualified majority of member states in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.

(Readers may recall that the Center for Media and Democracy reported in 2012 that Syngenta's PR team investigated the press and spent millions to spin news coverage in the face of growing concerns about potential health risks from its widely used weed-killer products containing atrazine.)

Anatomy of a Neurotoxin: Neonicotinoid Pesticides

Neonicotinoid insecticides have been used for years on corn, soy, wheat, and canola (called rapeseed in Canada and Europe). When they were introduced in the 1990s, they were initially welcomed as much safer for humans, livestock and birds than other insecticides. Their most common use is as a seed treatment. Since they are a systemic pesticide, from the seed they enter each part of the growing plant, including the pollen. According to the Pesticide Action Network of North America (PANNA), 94 percent of U.S. corn seeds are treated with either imidacloprid or clothianidin. That makes nicotinoids remarkably prevalent in pollen collected by bees.

Dave Goulson, professor of biology at the University of Sussex, was one of the authors of the spring 2012 Sciencestudy on neonicotinoids and bumble bees. In the study, scientists exposed bumble bee colonies to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid. Compared to control colonies, treated colonies "had a significantly reduced growth rate and suffered an 85% reduction in production of queens..." Dr. Goulson told CMD:

"Exposure to these pesticides, which are essentially a neurotoxin, was affecting the ability of the bees to learn, to find their way home, to navigate, to collect food, and so on, which is hardly surprising if you realize they're neurotoxins. ... What we found, which was I must admit surprising in its extent, was that the treated nests did grow more slowly, but most dramatically, the effect on queen production was really strong. So we had an 85 percent drop in queen production of nests that were exposed just for that two-week period to pretty low concentrations of these pesticides compared to the control nests."

Results of the honeybee study published in the same issue were similar: honeybee foragers got lost on their way back to hives after exposure to low doses of neonicotinoids.

Bayer and Syngenta Lobby to Prevent Ban

Earlier scientific studies had already induced Italy, Slovenia, and Germany to suspend approval of new neonicotinoid-treated seeds and ban certain uses of the pesticides. Then in March 2012, the European Commission mandated EFSA to deliver a scientific opinion on the report that had led to Italy's suspension of neonicotinoid-treated corn seeds. After the April 2012 publication of the Science articles, the Commission asked EFSA to include them in its review. In June 2012, the French government announced that it would withdraw the registration of thiamethoxam.

Eventually, when EFSA concluded that it recommended the pesticides be banned and sent Syngenta an embargoed press release with its findings, the company claimed there were inaccuracies, threatened to "consider our legal options" if the release was not changed by a deadline set by Syngenta. Then, when the release was published without the company's suggested changes, demanded access to all documents related to the drafting of the press release "and in particular the name(s) of the civil servant(s) responsible for the decision to publish the Press Release setting aside Syngenta's comments."

Follow-up with a PR "Charm Offensive"

In the wake of EFSA's and the European Commission's recommendations and the subsequent failure of the European Member States to reach a qualified majority to put the ban in place effective July 2013, Bayer and Syngenta then launched what CEO called a "charm offensive to be seen as part of the solution rather than of the problem." For Syngenta, this consists of an upgrade of its PR sting "Operation Pollinator," in which the company proposes to provide payments to a few farmers to grow strips of flowers and other plants attractive to bees alongside their neonicotinoid-treated crops.

"This comprehensive plan will bring valuable insights into the area of bee health, whereas a ban on neonicotinoids would simply close the door to understanding the problem," Syngenta Chief Operating Officer John Atkin told Greenwise Business in early April. "Banning these products would not save a single hive and it is time that everyone focused on addressing the real causes of declining bee populations."

Dr. Goulson responds that the answer is not so simple, but that "very probably" if neonicotoid pesticides were banned, "on average honeybees would be healthier and would be better able to cope with the other things that they're currently having to deal with..."

Next Steps

EU member states are likely to vote again on the proposed partial ban of neonicotinoids on either April 26 or May 2, according to CEO, which notes: "Meanwhile, the pesticides industry is lobbying Member States hard to try to reach a qualified majority to reject the proposal outright and thus block the ban. The coming weeks' battle will be crucial: will industry interests prevail against bees' survival?"

But the issue of bees and pesticides is a global problem, and according to PRWatch contributor Jill Richardson, the extermination of honeybees, in particular, "could set off a global food crisis." She reports that, in contrast with Europe's efforts to enact measures to save the bees, beekeepers in the United States "remain frustrated that the U.S. government is not as forward-thinking." In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is "allowing the use of a new, unregistered neonicotinoids called sulfoxaflor, and proposing a 'conditional registration' for it," according to Richardson.

In response, the U.S. environmental advocate group PANNA and others are suing the EPA "for its failure to protect pollinators from dangerous pesticides." PANNA is asking supporters to urge the U.S. Congress to "step up," call a hearing, and "fix a broken pesticide law that leaves EPA hamstrung."

Comments

from the article - "Operation Pollinator," in which the company proposes to provide payments to a few farmers to grow strips of flowers and other plants attractive to bees alongside their neonicotinoid-treated crops"
This is a stupid idea. The neonics get into the soil and dust goes into the field margins. All that operation pollinator will do is attract pollinators to high toxic crops and margins. The half life of some neonics exceeds the 120 days set by the EU. Even Bayer admit imidicloprid has a half life of 288 days, IF you remove the toxic agricultural waste product (formaly known as stubble) from the field.
Even Fera could not do a proper control bee field trial as neonics were found in their control hive next to the untreated crop. Residues and proliferation of neonics make it impossible for pollinators to escape or to conduct a proper field trial.

Putting into operation a trial "operation pollinator" would allow companies to pay farmers to plant and grow flowers next to crops being sprayed with neonicotinoid to attract bees to the infected fields of poison. This act would be like asking our own children to drink poison kool aid.
And what is worst is CEOs that try to argue that they possess the intelligence, technology, man power, equipment, and supply of pollination for all the plants, fruits and vegetables that we consume.
That is blasphemy.
Bees do their job for free. They were created for that purpose. The bees are only part of the equation. The other part is educating business persons to be responsible and ethical.

"This comprehensive plan will bring valuable insights into the area of bee health, whereas a ban on neonicotinoids would simply close the door to understanding the problem," Actually a ban would get right to the bottom of the problem. If they are proven safe they can be re introduced.

I have a sister who works in the EPA. Seems like they are working on polluted water issues and bed bugs issues last I heard.
I guess drinking water is being affected by pesticides as well. As yes, we will always have to deal with bugs.
Countries like Italy, Slovenia and Germany are wise enough to realize that suspending the use of neonicotnoid treated seeds and banning the use of certain other pesticides will help the production and preservation of bee populations we depend on.
We as Americans should be so bold as to believe that we could make a difference by following other countries example. Ban the use of pesticides from the areas of food production. If the use of pesticides was used in moderation that this would not be a topic of discussion.
But it is a issue when we as people get so greedy that money and profit become more important than human life.
We now have to protect our water, our animals, our food, and our bugs from the humans.

Headline “Bayer and Syngenta Lobby Furiously Against EU Efforts to Limit Pesticides and Save Bees”
If you cant prove your case with research and science as the case with Bayer and Syngenta, throw money and corruption at it!

So once again Corporate Profits trump what is right. Let's see how much they like it when the food that the bees pollinate do not bear because all the bees are dead. Let's see how much good their money them then.

Corporations are threatened by the unseen pollinator, the bee. The bee is the natural provider of pollination, honey, wax, and propolis.
A smart CEO would try to capitalize on the possibility of bee production. Imagine CEOs who could actually see into the future market for pollinators, the bees. Man can not produce a bee. But man can assist, develop relations, market, and use the produces from bee production.
Why not invest into bee companies? Why not promote more backyard bee keepers? Why not see about investing some time and energy into supporting the bee production and making the US again a nation of responsible creative thinkers instead of killers?
Fear causes people to kill. Killing the bees does not help it hurts.

It's not rocket science really to see that Bayer and Syngenta have thrown millions of Euros at their 'safe' products and they are not about to roll over and let the EU ban their product.They stand to lose millions so it's all about profit margins, keeping share holders happy and screw the bees!
Wait till we lose 40% of the worlds food and we're all sucking Complan throug a straw to survive, you won't see Bayer and Syngenta for dust.

We are citizens with a conscience and members of society who need to look out for the best interest of our community, our nation and the world.
US needs to be a leader and take their position to lead ethically and logically by modeling good and responsible business.
Science has proven that our natural pollinators, the bees, are being affected by the new pesticides. Stand up for what is right, the bees can't talk and defend themselves...people need to be the caretakers. Logically, protect our future generations, our children, our crops, our resources...limit the use of these bio-nerve agents...it is even affecting the bees.
Business CEOs need to take a more responsible stand and show their good faith in preserving life.